Welcome to my 7 year old life. Taco pasta bakes were the name of the game in the Dalkin house and 20+ years later not much has changed! Let's make this Cheesy Chicken Taco Chili Pasta and call it a day!
Where do we even begin. This Cheesy Chicken Taco Chili Pasta has taco flavors, tons of salsa, some beans, and all the cheese. It's my ideal meal for many reasons including the fact that it's all made in 1 pot. EVERYTHING. And you can jazz it up as you see fit. Different shapes of pasta - yes please! Different flavors of salsa, go for it! No chicken, use turkey or ground beef! Want it to be a little chunkier, use black beans instead of refried beans. The list goes on and on.
But I can promise that whatever way you spin this, it's going to be a crowd pleaser! Take the basic formula below, which is that it is a pasta version of the chipotle chicken chili, and make it your own!! Enjoy.
Cheesy Chicken Taco Chili Pasta
This Cheesy Chicken Taco Chili Pasta has taco flavors, tons of salsa, some beans, and all the cheese. It’s my ideal meal for many reasons including the fact that it’s all made in 1 pot.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 10- ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 14- ounce can black beans
- 1 8- ounce jar chipotle salsa
- 1 cup refried beans
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces pasta shells
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- Fresh cilantro and green onions for garnish
Instructions
- In a large shallow enamel skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and break it up with the back of a wooden spoon while cooking until no pink remains. Add the taco seasoning to toast the spices and stir to combine. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, salsa and Swanson Chicken Broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the pasta and simmer, until pasta is cooked through.
- Remove pot from heat, sprinkle the cheese on top (allow to melt if desired) and garnish with herbs
Notes
Want to make this vegetarian? Swap out the chicken for another can of black beans and use vegetable broth.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 1454mg | Potassium: 1001mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1159IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @WhatsGabyCookin or tag #whatsgabycooking!
Delish! Next time I will omit the refried beans and maybe just add an additional bell pepper instead because it was too bean-y for us but it’s a very hearty filling meal. Perfect in the wintertime!
Excited to make this! Does it freeze well?
yes!
I was searching for a recipe to use some leftover pepper jack cheese and this was perfect! It also came out way spicier than I intended but I wasn’t mad about it, lol! I used Gaby’s taco fajita senorita taco seasoning and herdez chipotle salsa cremosa because that’s what they had at my store. Whew! A tasty and easy weeknight meal.
I LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it twice in the last two weeks and it’s great as leftovers! I also used Banza chickpea pasta and it works so well. Highly recommend!
Great recipe! Made it vegetarian. Subbed ground impossible burger and vegetable broth. Only had plain diced tomatoes and regular salsa, but still VERY YUMMY. The warmth and colors were perfect to celebrate the first day of Fall!
Hi Gaby-
I'm all game for this receipe. The rest of the family not so. Whats the best way to downsize this recipe for one?
cut it in 1/2 and then freeze some of it for another day!
Absolutely amazing! I made it last minute for dinner for my family- my sister is Autistic and super picky with textures and spice and she LOVED it! My mom didn’t even mind the beans! This will be on the “will crave” list in our house.
Can I skip the refries beans? Thought I had some and I don’t... and can’t go to grocery due to Coronapocalypse 🙁 I have extra black beans I could add...
totally! throw in some black beans and call it a day
Wondering how many does this recipe serve?
4-6!
I made this last night and it was delicious! A great fall comfort food meal.
I did add the whole can of refried beans because otherwise they would probably go to waste. Next time, I'll only use the 1 cup called for 🙂 It was a little refried bean-y but still good!
Love, love, love all the delicious variations that are possible with this! A definite crowd pleaser.
This recipe landed in my email today and proved to be a fabulous choice for our dinner tonight! Thank you, Gaby! This is simple tasty comfort food. We made the recipe as written with only one change, using finely diced (leftover) rotisserie chicken in place of the ground chicken. We were slightly concerned that all the ingredients would fit in our large cast iron skillet, but it worked with just enough room to gently stir. This would be a great recipe to serve for a pot luck too! Just transfer the cooked mixture to a larger serving dish, then add the cheese on top. It will be easier to transport and look just like the picture when you arrive.
I like that idea! Rotisserie chicken adds a different level and texture